Him Or Me-Not Both
by KandiKitty
Summary: High school AU. A couple years back Sakura chose him over Ino. She never forgave her. Now any chance they get, they fight like rabid wolves. Will they ever get their best friend back or will something worse happen before they can make up?
1. Fight

**Hallo kittens! I'm editing this chapter a bit because I think it is awful.**

 **I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Lots a Lot a Love, Kandikitty**

 **Ino**

I have a lot of bad habits but this one specifically I fully blame on Shikamaru. I sighed leaning against the ledge taking a drag from the cigarette. We sat on the roof of his apartment building watching the sunset. He was playing music off his phone filling the air with something more then our morose aura.

His voice breaks through the chorus. "We are a couple of fuck ups aren't we." It was more of a statement than an actual question.

I nod silently. There isn't much more that needed to be said. I clenched my fist- still bruised from the day before. He clasps my shoulder in what is meant to be a comforting gesture. Running my hand through my hair thinking of yesterday, once again I let my temper get the best of me and Shikamaru had to save my ass. This was our last year at Konoha high and I was one more fight away from expulsion.

"What is with you and her anyways? Didn't you two use to be like best friends in middle school?" He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, knowing this was a subject I didn't want to talking about. We walked the steps down to his place.

"Yes we were. That got fucked up and now we are here. That's it." My voice was harsh, I felt a twinge of guilt for talking to him like this. He just wanted to help but _she_ is something I don't even want to think about, let along talk about. We dropped down on his couch continuing our movie, some B rated slasher flick. My thoughts couldn't help but wonder back to the fight with none other than the bane of my existence, Sakura.

 _I could hear her laugh from around the corner, I knew the smile she would be holding, I knew the gleam those verdant_ _eyes held. I rounded the corner expecting to see Sakura laughing with TenTen or Hinata, instead she was pressed against her locker by Sasuke. That impertinent bastard! What gives him the right! I clenched my fist trying not to make eye contact with either of them._

 _Yet he still called after me, "Ey Ino what's up?" I could hear the smirk in his voice._

 _"Let her be Sasuke." I barely heard the pinkette mumble._

 _"I don't need you to stick up for me Sakura." I growled back._

 _"I wasn't sticking up for you." She fumed back._

 _"Sure as hell sounded like it." My jaw was set, if she wanted a fight she was getting one._

 _She stepped out from under Sasuke. "Don't start something you can't finish." She was inches from my face._

 _"I will finish it this time." I shoved her back into the lockers._

 _"Bitch!" She rebounded faster than I thought, pushing off the lockers slamming her shoulder into my abdomen running me into the opposite wall._

 _I kneed her in the nose making her lose her grip and landing a solid punch in the same spot. It popped, defiantly broken. She wasn't backing down. It was not your usual 'chick fight' there was no hair pulling or name calling, no scratching or pulling at clothes either. Just punch after punch. I tried to put her in a head lock but she bit my forearm making me bleed. Neither of us noticed Sasuke had tried to break us up, nor that someone had found Kakashi-sensei. Before either of us knew it we were pulled apart by him and Asuma-sensei. We looked at each other taking in the bloody beaten masses we had become._

I stood in the bathroom wrapping up my arm where there were now stitches from Sakura's bite. I looked in the mirror taking in my busted lip, black eye, but most of all the hurt in my blue eyes. Sakura and I were best friends. _Were-_ the key word there. I slammed my fist into the sink instantly regretting it as pain shot its way up to my shoulder. Sakura and I couldn't even be civil for the sake of graduation.

I stole another cigarette from Shikamaru for the walk home. I welcomed the breeze somehow it was cakming. The fresh air was nice, the stars were nice. Overall tonight was just nice. Weather wise anyways. I took my time, not really in any hurry to return home. Mom and Dad both worked late tonight. The only down side to my walk home is the shortest way involves walking passed the Haruno house, ironically a fact I use to love. I held my breath walking in front of it as if any noise at all would draw the pinkette out. I could hear her talking to someone, her bedroom window must have been opened.

"-even know myself... One day we were fine and the next we are trying to murder each other." She made a noise, somewhere between a chuckle and a sob.

"Wasn't it around the time Sasuke asked you out?" That voice was TenTen. She was probably spinning around in Sakura's desk chair. That was her favorite spot last I remember.

I looked up to the window, wondering why they would be talking about me.

"Yeah I don't really remember exactly what happened, she hated him for no reason and... I guess I chose him over her."

My whole body tensed. How could she not remember? How could she _guess_ she chose his side? I bit my tongue refraining myself from shouting something and kept walking. I need to stay away from everything to do with her. She will ruin my chances at graduating.


	2. Mend

**MADEGlorious, left a lovely comment asking me to continue. I actually forgot I had even started a InoxSakura fic, so thank you my dear kitten! On that note however I don't remember what the whole twist was... SO this is an adventure for all of us!**

 **There was a chapter I wrote before this but didn't end up posting it. I don't think it added anything to the story but I can post it later if you kittens want me to.**

 **I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Lots a Lot a Love, Kandikitty**

Temari, Shikamaru and myself were all seated behind the school. Shika and I were smoking while Temari just sat with us. I hadn't ever talked to her much but here she was. "Not that I mind your company..." I started slowly, glancing at him than her.

"You and Sakura are on a rampage." She shrugged looking up at the sky. "It's a small school, excluding me and my brothers, all of you have grown up together just about and word gets around fast. I don't personally know either of you but a month ago I would have voted for you two as 'cutest couple'. Now it seems like you'll both be voted 'surprised they survived'."

Her voice had a soothing effect very similar to Shikamaru's. Still her answer just brought up more questions.

Shikamaru leaned forward to look at her since he was on my left and she my right "Word _does_ get around fast. TenTen send you?" He took a final drag, putting it out on his boot.

"I wouldn't say she sent me. I offered. It's hard to talk to someone who doesn't want to be found." She nodded to where we were sitting.

"Didn't stop you." He grumbled.

"Why would TenTen send you?" I asked even more questions piling up.

"She's my girlfriend. I _offered_ because I adore her and you two are making her life hell. She just wants her friends back together." At that she stood, "Look I don't know what has you two craving blood but whatever it is, is it worth it? We've only got a few more months of this... this weird freedom high school gives us. Soon enough we will all be headed our own way. Instead of trying to kill the lady you like wouldn't it be better to work it out?"

"I don't... She doesn't... What!?" I scrambled to my feet. My brain was on high alert but no sentence would form properly.

"Cutest couple, Ino." Temari reiterated.

"She chose him over me there is no working it out!" I fumed. "The fucker tries to take advantage of my drunk ass and she chose him!" I could feel the tears welling up.

"He what?!" I heard Shikamaru growl behind me. I could never bring myself to tell him what happened at that party. He would just blame himself for not taking better care of me.

"...That changes things." Temari's eyes seemed to darken. "That changes things a lot." With more force then I thought she was capable of the blonde pulled me into a tight hug. A comforting gesture I didn't know I needed until I broke down in her arms.

Whatever they were saying was turned into a mumbled background as I cried. I cried for being stupid, for getting so drunk, for letting him take me up to the room. I cried for what almost happened, for what did happen, but most of all I cried because with every tear I felt my anger subside.

However long we were there didn't matter, to me at least. It was comforting. Temari held me the entire time, Shikamaru smoked and answered whatever questions she asked. There was this a bubble around us, an almost pliable aura of protection. When I finally readjusted, rubbing my eyes and fixing my hair I felt so much better. I broke down in front of an almost complete stranger and I didn't feel ashamed or embarrassed. I just felt better. We all stood this time, a silent look on all of our faces that spoke more than words could.

"You've got my number." Temari stated simply "And TenTens." With a simple nodded she turned and left.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru looked at the floor his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "You should have said something."

"I couldn't... I didn't want you to blame yourself."

"Whatever." He shook his head he wasn't mad just hurt. "Sakura said yes to him even though she knew about this?"

I nodded. "I couldn't find her that night. That's when I had you take me home. The next day I texted her, but no response. I didn't hear from her at all for like another day and the only text I got was 'Sasuke finally asked me out!' and here we are."

He didn't say anything just motioned to the student parking lot. "Ichiraku ramen."

 **Yamanaka House**

I lied on my bed staring up at the ceiling. I know something wasn't right about Sakura not responding to my texts or calls then. I didn't know what it was, but something didn't sit right with me. I sighed I was so full of anger that I just lashed out. Not even able to confront her on anything I just punched and she reacted. We fought a lot when we were younger so it was almost instinct at that point- old habits die hard. I couldn't look at her without getting uncontrollably angry. To try to get rid of the pit in my stomach I started avoiding anything that had to deal with her, including our mutual friends. Maybe that wasn't right but it felt so logical when I decided to do it. I've just been so wrapped up in all of this I didn't think of anyone else's feelings.

Shikamaru keeps saying I need to think of myself first and what happened to me isn't something I should just push under the rug. It could have been so much worse, that's what keeps me to mention the amount of alcohol in my system helped blur most of it. It could have been worse but it wasn't. I can deal with it because of that fact. My phone buzzed, a new message blinked to life on the black screen.

TenTens name appeared with two words- You home?

I didn't know if I should respond. Avoiding someone for this long it's hard to want to be around them again. Eventually I sent a yes as my answer thinking of Temari. There was so much I wanted to talk to her about.


End file.
